Have it your way with Windows Home Server add-ins

Now that Windows Home Server has reached RTM status, it's time to start …

I don't know how many of you plan to jump on Windows Home Server when it is released, but anyone who decides to give the system a spin will probably want to customize it to their liking. Microsoft understands that one of Windows Home Server's major selling points is the ability to handle add-ins, and the company is currently hosting a contest to see who can develop the most "useful, cool, easy-to-use, and solidly performing value-add to Windows Home Server." While the competition doesn't end until August 25, 2007, many developers have already created nifty utilities for the server, but how can you find them?

Thanks to the Windows Home Server-centric website We Got Served, a growing list of add-ins is available along with their descriptions. Although I would advise any armchair administrators to check out the list in its entirety, some of the "must-haves" that I found were:

LobsterTunes(trial) - Stream music, Internet radio, and television from Windows Home Server to a Windows Mobile smartphone through a WiFi or 3G network

PhotoSync - Automate the process of uploading photos to Flickr by letting PhotoSync synchronize a shared folder with the popular website

As Windows Home Server comes to market in the next few months, more add-ins are sure to arise. If you are looking for more information on add-ins, including development help, one of the best places I've found is Microsoft's Windows Home Server Developer forum. Other excellent sources are the Windows Home Server Getting Started Guide and the Windows Home Server SDK. If you know of any other great add-ins not mentioned above, drop us a line in the comments.